At Guardian, we believe great leadership isn’t built overnight, it’s developed through shared experiences, continuous learning, and a commitment to growth. This April, leaders from across our organization gathered for the 2026 Guardian Leadership Conference, themed Camp Guardian: Adventure Awaits, to do exactly that.

Set against a spirit of exploration and connection, this year’s conference invited attendees to step away from their day-to-day roles and focus on strengthening the skills, relationships, and strategies that move our communities—and our company—forward.

Building Stronger Leaders, Together

From the opening session to the final remarks, the conference centered on equipping our teams with practical tools and fresh perspectives. Sessions covered everything from reputation management and data-driven decision-making to mentorship and operational excellence. Each session designed to empower leaders at every level.

But beyond the content itself, the true value came from collaboration. Leaders had the opportunity to share insights, exchange ideas, and learn from one another’s experiences, reinforcing the sense of community that defines Guardian.

Moments That Matter

This year introduced new opportunities for connection, including our Campfire Dinner. an evening designed to bring teams together in a relaxed, engaging environment. The conference was a chance to build relationships, celebrate shared successes, and strengthen the bonds that carry into our everyday work.

Throughout the conference, attendees also participated in interactive discussions and breakout sessions, tackling real-world challenges and identifying solutions they can bring back to their teams. These moments of dialogue and reflection are where ideas turn into action.

Celebrating our Shooting Stars

A highlight of the conference each year is the Awards Dinner and Ceremony, where we recognize individuals and teams who exemplify Guardian’s values in action. These leaders set the standard for excellence. demonstrating commitment, innovation, and a deep dedication to the residents and communities we serve.

Celebrating these achievements not only honors those recognized, but also inspires all of us to continue raising the bar.

Highlights included:

• Heart of Guardian: The Heart of Guardian is one of our most prestigious awards, chosen by our Executive Team, and awarded to the person who most embodies Guardian's culture of teamwork, professionalism, dependability, and empathy.
• Guardian Gold Awards: Peer-nominated awards celebrated individuals who went above and beyond. Over 200 submissions were reviewed to award the Gold Award categories below
• Years of Service Milestones: We recognized team members celebrating 5 and 10 years with Guardian, honoring their dedication and committment.
• Top Shop Recognition: 13 team members were recognized as Top Shop All-Stars for receiving 3 or more perfect shop scores in 2025.
• Grace Hill Excellence Award Winners: 8 communities were acknowledged for being named as 95% Club Winners of the 2026 Grace Hill Excellence Awards.

A list of award recipients is outlined below. You can also relive the conference moments in our photo gallery at the bottom of the page.

Congratulations to our 2026 Heart of Guardian:

• Tina Langdon

Congratulations to our Guardian Gold Winners!

• Sandy Hicks, Discovery Point, Conventional Manager of the Year
• Sue Vargas, Manzano Mesa, Affordable Manager of the Year, more than 100 units
• Erica Herman, Patton Home, Affordable Manager of the Year, less than 100 units
• Jerry Strong, Chehalis Avenue, Maintenance Lead of the Year
• Leopoldo Morales, Oakmont, Maintenance Tech of the Year, more than 100 units
• Gaspar Pascual, Crown East & Villa D'Shirl Lee, Maintenance Tech of the Year, less than 100 units
• Lisa Lucio, Rover of the Year, Property Management
• Jeri King, Rover of the Year, Management
• Luis Vazquez, Property Support Person of the Year
• Champion Park, Resident Appreciation BBQ, Resident Event of the Year
• Emily Van't Hul, Discovery Point, Chief Closer
• Stephanie Kerr, Above & Beyond, Property Management
• Manuel Francisco Manuel, 1200 Building & Lexington, Above & Beyond, Maintenance
• Nadia Benyahich, Above & Beyond, Home Support
• Zach Anderson, Uptown Tower, Rookie of the Year, Property Management
• Cody Darnielle, Indian Creek Court & Indian Creek Village, Rookie of the Year, Maintenance
• Villas on Sixth, SOCi Award

Years of Service Milestones

We were proud to recognize the following individuals for meeting Years of Service milestones in 2025:

10 Years of Service

• Scott Bailey
• Lisa Brenton
• Tammy Herrera
• Calvin Mott
• Gary Allan Pruyne
• William Willson

5 Years of Service

• Nadia Benyahich
• Gavin Eveland
• Nicole Huynh
• Wyatt Jordan
• Lisa Lucio
• Anthony Okoye
• Cheryl Ponter
• Melissa Robin
• Matthew Schneider
• Rebecca Ventura
• Jennifer Wallace

Top Shop All-Stars

• Shelly Arellano
• Kari Poole Bolton
• Shemika Frazier
• Dan Giertych
• Edwin Gonzalez
• Jed Janssen
• Charity Kelley-White
• Drew Kuykendall
• Julie Mallonee
• Nick Mower
• Marlo Vinluan
• Nicole Wade
• Cindy Yamaki-Runyan

Thank you's

Thank you to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront and Encore for hosting our conference! Photo credit and thanks to Kitta Bodmer Photography for the wonderful photos in the gallery below.

And a huge thanks to all our sponsors for helping make our event possible! In particular, thanks to our Keynote Sponsor, Kennedy Restoration, and our Campfire Dinner Sponsors, Yardi and Finnmark.

Looking Ahead

As the 2026 Leadership Conference comes to a close, the energy and momentum carry forward. The ideas shared, the connections made, and the lessons learned will continue to shape how we lead, collaborate, and grow in the year ahead.